Compare towns
Wayne vs Exeter vs South Thomaston
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Wayne has the most people working from home (26.2%).
Exeter has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.2%).
South Thomaston has the shortest commute (16 min average).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Wayne | Exeter | South Thomaston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,101Lowest |
16,151Highest |
1,381 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+12.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-3% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 55.6±5.3Highest 43% above U.S. |
45.8±2.3Lowest 18% above U.S. |
54.3±11.3 40% above U.S. |
| Wayne and South Thomaston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 13.4%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
17%±2.7Highest U.S.: 22% |
13.8%±3.7 U.S.: 22% |
| Exeter and South Thomaston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 29.2%±3.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
24.4%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
34.8%±8.7Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| South Thomaston and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 48.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
59.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
44.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.5%±2.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
6.1%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
9%±9.1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| South Thomaston and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $93,194±$26k 15% above U.S. |
$110,346±$13kHighest 37% above U.S. |
$86,838±$7kLowest 8% above U.S. |
| Exeter and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $362,800±$29k 9% above U.S. |
$456,600±$21kHighest 37% above U.S. |
$341,300±$37kLowest about the U.S. average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $983±$554 30% below U.S. |
$1,856±$223Highest 31% above U.S. |
$925±$633Lowest 35% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,289Lowest 5% above U.S. |
$8,814Highest 183% above U.S. |
$3,442 10% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 25%±52.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
59%±11.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
63.6%±43.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| South Thomaston and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 89.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
69.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
92.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980 same as U.S. |
1979Lowest 1 yr older than U.S. |
1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 15% above U.S. |
25 min 6% below U.S. |
16 minLowest 41% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 26.2%±11.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
19.9%±3.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
8.3%±4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Wayne and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #22 of 120 in NH | — |
| School district | RSU 38 | Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District | — |
| High school in town | None in town | Exeter High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.1 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 59 photos → | None yet |
U.S. average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.